California Asks EPA To Review Car Emissions Waiver

Date: 22-Jan-09

Country: US

Author: Nichola Groom

LOS ANGELES - California on Wednesday asked the new head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider the state's request, denied by the previous administration, to impose its own tough limits on climate warming emissions from cars.

The move came on the first full day of work for the Obama administration and could open the door for California and 13 other states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from passenger vehicles by 30 percent by 2016.

"We feel strongly that under its new leadership, EPA will recognize that the decision made by the former administrator to deny California the waiver to enforce our clean car law was flawed, factually and legally, in fundamental ways," California Air Resources Board Chairman Mary Nichols said in a letter to Lisa Jackson, Obama's nominee to lead the EPA.

President George W. Bush's administration often elicited criticism from environmentalists, who said it favored industry and politics over environmental science.

Former EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson in 2007 denied California's request for federal permission to impose new limits on carbon dioxide emissions from cars.

(Editing by Todd Eastham)